By Tasha Bartholomew, @tashbart

We are halfway through Black History Month and there are still many activities and events going on around the Bay Area that are easily accessible by Caltrain, SamTrans or other public transportation.

Since February 1976, Black History Month, or National African-American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African-Americans in U.S. history. If you are looking for something to do this weekend and are interested in learning about black history, you might want to check out these venues:

Museum of the African Diaspora – This is the go-to place to learn about black history.  Current exhibitions include Urban Africa, Slavery Narratives and The Bayview Project, a collection of oral histories from African-Americans who moved to the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. The Museum of the African Diaspora is located at 685 Mission Street in San Francisco, ground floor of the St. Regis. To get there, take a northbound train to the San Francisco Caltrain Station and then transfer to Muni’s 30-Stockton bus route to get you the museum.

Black College Expo – High school students who want to get connected directly to colleges, including historically black colleges and universities should attend this free event. There will be information on college applications, scholarships, internships and much more. There will also be seminars and information on vocational opportunities. The Black College Expo takes place this Saturday, February 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 2415 University Avenue in East Palo Alto. SamTrans Route 296 will get you to the expo.

African American Heritage House – In honor of Black History Month, the African American Heritage House is hosting its 2nd Annual Spoken Word Festival featuring poetry and spoken word by local artists. Participants will be competing for prizes in three different categories, including Top Three Females, Top Three Males and Youth (ages 13 -18). Prizes will be awarded to winners. This event takes place on Sunday, February 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at San Jose History Park, 635 Phelan Avenue. To get there, take a southbound train to the Santa Clara Caltrain Station and then transfer to VTA’s 22 Palo Alto-Eastridge and 73 Snell/Capitol to Downtown bus lines to get you there the rest of the way.

 

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